PerusalCopyPreviewOnly

Building a Philosophy of Music Ministry

Building a philosophy of church music is an ongoing process, for we will never complete the task of thinking and studying about church music and its role in church and society. Developing a sound philosophy of church music will involve knowledge of church music history, knowledge of what the Bible says about church music, and careful analysis of culture and its impact. Furthermore, it involves knowledge of one's worship tradition and church hierarchy, and of one's own individual skills and gifts. A philosophy of church music is different for each individual, and aspects of a philosophy will change throughout life and with different ministry settings. Our philosophy of church music is most noticeably seen in the way in which we carry out ministry in the real world, for our beliefs inform all ministry decisions. One way of approaching a church music philosophy is to consider it as a statement of what you believe about church music. This can be equally helpful to confirm his/her beliefs for a beginning minister of music or as a reflective exercise for a seasoned minister of music.

The following questions are a starting point in developing a philosophy of church music:

1) What does the Bible say about church music?

The Old Testament frequently speaks about music. Key passages include (1) Miriam's song at the Red Sea (Exodus 15:21); (2) setting aside the Levites as leaders of music and worship (Numbers 1:47-54; I Chronicles 16:4; 23:5a); (3) the elaborate music of the dedication of the temple (II Chronicles 7:4-6); (4) David's use of music to calm Saul's spirit (I Samuel 16:14-23); (5) the book of Psalms and others. The Book of Psalms is a record of the worship of the Old Testament and has provided a rich resource of worship material for each succeeding generation. Their beauty, sensitivity, and identification with the individual and corporate worshiper are unparalleled.